The recently released film Rautu Ka Raaz has garnered acclaim for its quirky storyline, strong performances, and unique setting. The film, set in a place called Rautu Ki Beli, has caught the audience’s attention.
Interestingly, director Anand Surapur’s earlier film, The Fakir of Venice (2019), also featured a location in its title. In a conversation with Bollywood Hungama, Anand discussed his fascination with such titles, his upcoming projects, and more.
Anand Surapar Reveals How Rautu Ka Raaz Got Its Title
When asked if including the names of towns or cities in his film titles was intentional, Anand Surapur laughed and said, “It wasn’t intentional. I got the idea for this film before The Fakir of Venice. The title The Fakir of Venice was apt as it’s about a fakir and is set in Venice. Rautu Ka Raaz was originally titled Love Is Blind. But during the shoot, we realized that the title gives away an important plot point of the film (laughs). Also, initially, my idea was to shoot the film with a blind character’s perspective.”
Anand continued, “This is why we decided to name the film after the village Rautu Ki Beli, where the film was also shot. However, the producers (Zee Studios) reasoned that the title does not signify the mystery element of the film. This is how we finalized the title Rautu Ka Raaz.”
Anand Surapar is pleased with the feedback, noting that around 70% of the reviews are positive according to Zee. He acknowledges that it is impossible to create a film that everyone loves, and is content with the positive response.
Director Shares The Experience Of Shooting In A Blind School
Anand Surapur shared some behind-the-scenes stories about the Nawazuddin Siddiqui-starrer. Initially, the film was set to be shot in a blind school in Mumbai, but the school didn’t grant permission as it would have disrupted the students.
Consequently, the team looked for alternatives and discovered Uttarakhand, a location that captivated Surapur. The area also had a nearby blind school, prompting the team to change the film’s setting. This shift proved to be a good decision, as a city-based thriller would have been quite different.
They enlisted blind students from Mumbai and a well-known government blind school in Dehradun. Although they initially considered shooting in Dehradun, they ultimately moved to Rautu Ki Beli, which is about an hour and a half from Dehradun.
The tranquil and relaxing environment of Uttarakhand made it an ideal shooting location. The team shot in a regular government school during the holidays, making necessary repairs and even giving the school a fresh coat of paint.
When asked about the shooting schedule, Anand Surapur made a surprising revelation, “We shot the film in 25 days. I even shot The Fakir of Venice in 23 days. I shoot very fast. I am a producer’s dream!”
Anand Surapur On His Next With Nawazuddin Siddiqui After Rautu Ka Raaz
Anand Surapur has already started work on his next project. “After Rautu Ka Raaz was well-received, Nawaz bhai called me up and told me, ‘Let’s do the other film as well, the mystery one set in Uttarakhand’ (the director had narrated the idea to the actor earlier). He has even given us dates to shoot in December.”
When asked for details, Anand replied, “It’s about the paris and chudails in Uttarakhand. The state has many ghost stories. It’s believed that if you go to Pari Tibba in Mussoorie and if the fairy likes you, she’ll take you away. In fact, many youngsters hang out there for this reason (laughs)!”
Anand Surapur, however, also mentioned that he has two scripts in hand, “There’s also a murder mystery. We are figuring out which one to make. But the pari one seems more interesting.”
He believes the fairy-witch tale will appeal to the audience as it is novel. “It’s difficult to differentiate one content from another (in this genre). People also get bored of it after a point. Once in a while, if you make something unique, it will work. It’s a clutter-breaking thing actually.”
Anand added, “I did music videos like Bulla Ki Jana with Rabbi Shergill and Teri Deewani with Kailash Kher. So, I have always focused on things that people can relate to and which are also clutter-breaking.”
Rautu Ka Raaz was released directly on Zee5. When asked if his next film with Nawazuddin Siddiqui will be released in theatres, Anand Surapur smiled and said, “It’s every director and producer’s dream to release the film in theatres. We also wanted to release Rautu Ka Raaz on the big screen. However, considering the market and mood, we opted for a direct-to-OTT release. Once the film is made, we’ll take a call.”
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